Hi all I have a quick question I have a chicken who is eating the eggs how do I stop this I have only noticed it the last week or so it is hard to find out which one it is as I have 6 chickens but I have a fair idea who it could be as I watched them just before and every time a chicken goes in the nest box this chicken follows it and will sit in the box with it and watch what do i do?? Any help is appreciated
I have heard of putting stone eggs in the nesting box and also hollowing out an egg then putting mustard in the shell. When they peck it and taste the mustard, it is not a good experience and may deter them from egg eating. Often times an egg eater is culled. Good Luck! Hello from South Carolina! We are happy you joined us!
If you think you know the culprit, cage her up for a day or so - to see how many undamaged eggs you get when she isn't meddling. You want to nip that habit in the bud, as the other hens will learn to do the same. Some people have luck with what is called "roll away" nest boxes, they are built so that after laying, the egg rolls away from view. Also if you can pick up eggs more frequently and replace with golf balls, that may throw the egg eater off. She just won't be able to break one open. Sometimes egg eating begins after an egg accidently get broken - a bird or two will discover it is delicious, and look for more. Other times a new layer may put out soft shell=less eggs and the same behavior is encouraged.
Welcome to BYC! We're glad to have you. First, is she eating normal, hard-shelled eggs? Or, is it possible that she or other birds are laying soft-shelled eggs which break easily and chickens love to eat? Here are somethings that you can do to alleviate egg eating: Put fake eggs in the nest. If a chicken learns that not all eggs break when being pecked, she may learn to not peck at eggs and eat them. Collect eggs more often. If you collect them often enough, a hen may not have enough time to break the eggs and eat them. Use roll-away nest boxes, where the eggs roll away after the hen has laid them. This prevents hens from getting to the eggs and eating them. I hope this helps! Egg eaters can often be very hard to stop.
Glad you joined us! X2 on the above posters' advice. Egg eating chickens can be difficult to eliminate, but good luck!
Hello there and welcome to BYC! Sorry you have an egg eater. Try some curtains on your nesting boxes. If chickens can see the eggs, they are more likely to play with them. I had egg eaters in my flock as I have an older hen that was laying lots of yolks. And of course these are highly sought after. I found that by hanging curtains over my boxes that number one, the chickens couldn't cruise for eggs from outside of the boxes and two, after the eggs were laid, being in the dark, they are not seen much by the birds. I have since thickened up these curtains with full material with only a small slit in the middle. There are 2 boxes back there. Hen slips in, lays her egg and being dark, she leaves without messing with the eggs. New hen peeks in, lays her egg, and also leaves the dark box and eggs stay safe. And as stated above, always keep fake eggs in your boxes. This will help teach the hens that eggs are not penetrable. I have never had any issues with egg eating after hanging these curtains. And I have also fixed the hen with the issue of laying yolks. Give this a try and see if it helps. Good luck!
Hello and Welcome To BYC! You've gotten some good suggestions above. There is a good article in the Learning Center also. Pinless Peepers often work on egg eaters if nothing else seems to. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/six-tips-on-breaking-your-egg-eater
Alright great to have you joining the BYC flock BYC has a very useful learning center I am sorry for your problem but I just remove the problem as I have to many chickens and cant afford to have chickens like that or they gat a coop to them selves .......
Glad you joined us. You already have good advice in other replies, here's wishing you success with the egg eater problem.